Nick Fortes
#40 C · Rays
Height
5'11"
Weight
198 lbs
Age
29
College
N/A
Experience
5 yrs
Bats/Throws
R/R
F
F
C
—
Fan Verdict
Grade this player:
Career StatsF
| Year | Team | GP | AVG | HR | RBI | OPS | SB | H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career |  | 424 | 0.22807017 | 29 | 115 | 0.6315386 | 11 | 260 |
Current Contract
Length
1 year
Total Value
$2.5M
Guaranteed
$1.5M
AAV
$2.5M/yr
Guaranteed %60%
Performance Analysis
F
FCA+
Nick Fortes grades as a solid performer among MLB catchers, earning a B- Performance grade. He is hitting with a 0.224 batting average and a 0.625 OPS (well below the league average of .720) this season. With 28 home runs and 107 RBI through 401 games (a 11-HR, 43-RBI pace over a full season), he brings limited power to the lineup. Nick also contributes 11 stolen bases, adding a baserunning element to his profile. As a prime-age veteran at 29, Nick is a key contributor for the Rays. A 401-game sample provides high confidence in this grade.
Fan & Media Sentiment
C
Mixed
NegativeNeutralPositive
Nick Fortes sits in neutral territory with a C sentiment grade — the public perception of a 29-year-old catcher who is competent enough to hold a roster spot without inspiring either strong enthusiasm or serious alarm. The media framing around him leans toward the functional end of the spectrum: coverage centers on routine contributions like RBI singles and situational production rather than anything that would move the needle meaningfully in either direction. That narrative is consistent with his performance grade, which sits at F — meaning on-field results have not given the sentiment much positive traction to work with, even as the press remains relatively muted in its criticism. The most colorful recent headline involves a groin injury from a fastball, which generates some viral attention but registers as an unfortunate and temporary moment rather than a red flag about his durability or role. The fact that he arrived via trade from Miami after the Rays dealt Jansen suggests the organization views him as more than a stopgap, lending at least some credibility to the idea that Tampa Bay sees genuine utility in him as they navigate a 24-12 start as the fourth seed in the American League East. Where the sentiment sits today is essentially flat — Fortes is perceived as a solid complementary catcher in a lineup that is winning at an impressive clip, but he remains peripheral to the broader narrative driving this team's early-season success.
Recent Games
| Date | OPP | Result | AB | H | R | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 5/8 | @ BOS | L 0-2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Thu, 5/7 | @ BOS | W 8-4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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About this player
Nick Fortes is a player in his 5th MLB season listed at C for the Rays. FanVerdicts maintains four independent grades for every MLB player on an active roster — Contract Value Index for the deal itself, Performance for on-field production, Sentiment for media and fan reaction, and Fan Verdict for community voting. Current grades for Nick Fortes: Contract Value Index F, Performance F, Sentiment C, Fan Verdict pending.
Every grade refreshes on its own cadence as new data lands. Performance recalculates when MLB game stats post; Sentiment updates with new media coverage and fan discussion; Contract Value Index recomputes when contract terms change; Fan Verdict reflects live community voting on this profile. Contract details below show the structure (years, total value, average annual value, guarantees) the Contract Value Index grade is computed against.
For league-wide context, the MLB hub has team rankings, GM report cards, the transactions feed, and live scoreboards. The MLB player rankings page sorts every active player by performance and contract value within their position.